Changeling

Chapter 4: Life is Beautiful

[This chapter is dedicated to k-a-n-e-k-i-san for noticing something about Juuzou-kun in the first chapter and pointing it out in a comment.~ *gives you a box of Tokyo-Ghoul-character-shaped cookies* The title of this chapter is a song by SIXX:A.M.]
{*munches on a piece of cake* Nn? *swallows* Eh?! I got distracted again! So sorry, Reader-chan. I blame Hanbee-kun. *pokes Hanbee teasingly* Heh~ He brought cake for me.~ Back to my tale!~}
I yawned, a bit bored. Kiomi and I were walking to the site where her friend's funeral was to take place. Kiomi's awkward silence is what bored me.

"Kio-chan, if you feel like crying, it's fine. Please, don't hold in your emotions like that," I advised, breaking the silence. She looked at me, somewhat startled.

"Oh, okay, Reika-san. You really have a talent for picking up on others' feelings," Kiomi said. A small tear ran down her cheek as she gave a rueful smile. We finally arrived at the funeral site.

"Kiomi-san, how are you holding up?" a male called over to Kiomi. He looked a little older and had white hair that looked to be turning black, as if black had been its original colour. Oddly, my first thought was Marie Antoinette syndrome.

"H-Haise-kun, you came!" Kiomi said.

"Yeah. When I heard about what happened, I was worried about you, especially since you hadn't shown up the past few days at the CCG," the boy, Haise said. That caught my attention. I remembered Kiomi said a few things about the CCG and revealed she was actually a part of them. She was still in training; Takiode, being her twin sister, had been also.

"CCG? Ne, does that mean you know Juuzou-kun and Hanbee-kun?" I asked.

"Yeah...How do you know Suzuya-san?" Haise replied.

"I met him a while back in another Ward," I answered.

"Oh. It's good to meet a friend of Suzuya-san's. I'm Sasaki Haise," he said a bit presumptuously.

"I'm Reika~," I said.

"Just Reika?"

"Yup.~ If I had a surname, I don't know it. I was abandoned when I was really young~," I said in a slightly over-cheery tone. He gave me an odd look.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Haise started to say as he bowed apologetically.

"Don't apologise for that. I'm completely okay with having been abandoned, so it's fine~," I said.

"Reika-san, that's an odd thing to say. Aren't you a little sad?" Kiomi asked.

"Eh? Why would I be sad? I was never close to my parents from the start. I actually expected to be abandoned," I replied.

"What? That's horrible! No wonder you act so strange sometimes. You need love, good family love. Reika-san, from now on, call me Kio-oneechan," Kiomi said. "Even though I'm younger, it kind of feels like having a little sister when you're around."

"Haha~ Okay, Kio-oneechan~," I giggled. I ducked just as a knife swiped over my head with a shwip sound. "Good morning, Juuzou-kun!~"

"Good morning, Rei-chan~," Juuzou greeted as I turned to face him and Hanbee. Haise and Kiomi made faces of disbelief.

"S-Suzuya-senpai, you shouldn't be doing things like that," Hanbee whimpered. I laughed.

"Hanbee-kun's such a worryguts. I don't mind getting stabbed at, so it's fine~," I said.

"Reika-san, please, don't say such scary things," Hanbee said. I tilted my head sideways at him.

"But I said it's fine. What's scary about that?" I asked, genuinely confused about it.

"Haha~ Rei-chan, you can just ignore Hanbee's cowardice if you want~," Juuzou said.

"I don't know how to ignore people," I said.

"Suzuya-san, I'm surprised you came. Well, that you're actually early, really," Haise said, speaking up. The conversation would have been too awkward for him, Kiomi, and Hanbee if he hadn't.

"Ah~ Hanbee gave me cookies to get me out of bed. I would have overslept otherwise," Juuzou said.

"Eh? That's bribery," Kiomi commented. Juuzou was suddenly frisking Haise's coat and soon pulled out a bunch of treats.

"Yay!~ You brought snacks!" Juuzou cheered.

"I brought them in case you showed up," Haise said.

"You really don't need to do that, you know," Kiomi said.

"It is better to stay on Suzuya's good side," Haise said.

"Let's go find seats," Hanbee suggested.

"Yeah. The funeral service should start soon," Kiomi said with a nod after checking the little time-thingy on her arm. I forgot what she called it.
|~|~|~|~|
After the funeral was over and most people were leaving, I stayed behind with Kiomi. Haise placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and gave him a rueful smile.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she told him.

"Just be careful, alright?"

"I will," she said with a nod.
|~|~|~|~|
I walked around alone, humming to myself. Kiomi was safe in her own bed, so I wasn't worried about her. Juuzou and Hanbee were somewhere, but Juuzou at least could take care of himself as well as cowardly Hanbee. I didn't see the need to worry about those I'd begun to care about.

"What's a cute girl doin' out this late by herself, hmm?" a male voice spoke behind me. I turned to see the idiot who'd interrupted my thoughts.

"Thinking. Go away," I said. He had a python tattooed onto his skin, the python's head on his right cheek. It was highly off-putting on his otherwise would-be-attractive features.

"Oh, don't be that way, doll," the guy said, grabbing my shoulder as I attempted walking away. I let out a low warning growl. "I could show you a good time, ya know."

"Go. Away," I said, the growl still in my throat as I spoke harshly. He didn't get the message. I did warn him.

"You ain't turnin' down a good time, are ya, doll?" the guy said. Right after he'd said it, an agonised scream left his lips. My bikaku kagune was now stabbed through his thigh, blood splattering the ground and his pants leg.

"Heh heh~ Such a funny scream.~ You should know better than to harass girls, right? Then I guess you don't mind if I cut you up a bit~," I said in a now lighthearted tone, giggling a bit. He really should have left me alone when he had the chance. "Life is beautiful, don't you think?~ I was at a funeral a little while ago; there's nothing quite like a funeral to make one feel alive, so open your eyes and see this. I'll be glad to show you that death is kinder than this cruel, beautiful life.~"
[A/N: I'm starting to feel like "I'm alright/fine/okay with(or some other variant)(insert bad situation here), so it's fine~" is now Reika-chan's catchphrase.]